Comparing modeled soil temperature and moisture dynamics during prescribed fires, slash-pile burns and wildfires

Background: Wildfires, prescribed fires and slash-pile burns are disturbances that occur in many terrestrial ecosystems. Such fires produce variable surface heat fluxes causing a spectrum of effects on soil, such as seed mortality, nutrient loss, changes in microbial activity and water repellency. A...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Robichaud, Peter R., Massman, William J., Bova, Anthony, Girona-García, Antonio, Alfaro-Leranoz, Andoni, Gibson, Nancy E.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/390328
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/390328
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/105002662935
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Duff
Fire intensity
First Order Fire Effects Mode
FOFEM
Heat-Moisture-Vapor (HMV) model
Moisture dynamics
Soil heating
Soil temperature
Surface fire
Validation
Descripción
Sumario:Background: Wildfires, prescribed fires and slash-pile burns are disturbances that occur in many terrestrial ecosystems. Such fires produce variable surface heat fluxes causing a spectrum of effects on soil, such as seed mortality, nutrient loss, changes in microbial activity and water repellency. Accurately modeling soil heating is vital to predicting these second-order fire effects. The process-based Massman HMV (Heat-Moisture-Vapor) model incorporates soil water evaporation, heat transport and water vapor movement, and captures the observed rapid evaporation of soil moisture. Aims: Improve the Massman HMV model and compare it with Campbell soil heating model using four independent soil temperature datasets collected during burning. Methods: The models were evaluated using similar BFD curves against observed temperature and soil moisture using standard statistical methods. Key results: Results suggest reasonable agreement between the Massman HMV model and field soil temperature data under various burn scenarios and it was consistently more accurate than the Campbell model. Conclusions: The Massman HMV model improved soil heating predictions and provided soil moisture predictions. Implications: The Massman HMV model was incorporated in the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM ver. 6.7) with a user-friendly interface that allows managers to assess the heating impacts of fire on soil temperature and moisture.